Adjustable sump pump

ABSTRACT

Vertical sump pump having a pumping chamber and impeller positioned within the sump having rotary elements that are easily removed from the sump without removing the remainder of the pump and in which clearances between the impeller and the pumping chamber are easily adjustable.

Umted States Patent 11 1 1111 3,764,237

Emeny Oct. 9, 1973 ADJUSTABLE SUMP PUMP 2,515,538 7/1950 Wall ..417 424 1761 Inventor: George 575 Highland 3125215212 5132? 1 22223733133: 3:13: 2135232 Ave-i Salem, Ohlo 44460 2,934,245 4/1960 Emeny 417/424 x 3,163,117 12/1964 Haentjens 417/424 [22] May 1972 3,704,960 12/1972 Zagar 417/424 [21] Appl. No.: 248,819

Related U.S. Application Data Primary Examiner-C. J. Husar Attorney-William H. Webb et a1.

ABSTRACT Vertical sump pump having a pumping chamber and impeller positioned within the sump having rotary elements that are easily removed from the sump without removing the remainder of the pump and in which [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 218,348, Jan. 17,

1972, abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl. 417/424 [51] Int. Cl. F04b 17/04 [58] Field of Search 417/424 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,504,140 4/1950 Mill 417/424 clearances between the impeller and the pumping chamber are easily adjustable.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 9973 3,764,237

SHEET 10F 2 Fig. I

ADJUSTABLE SUMP PUMP This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 218,348, filed Jan. 17, 1972, entitled Vertical Sump Pump."

Vertical sump or pit pumps include a variety of pumps for removing liquids from sumps or pits extending downwardly from the floor level. The sumps are substantially emptied to their lower liquid level and allowed to fill to an upper liquid level before the pump is actuated to empty the sump again. To maintain the pumps prime, an impeller and centrifugal pumping chamber (pump casing) are often maintained below the lowest controlled liquid level in the sump.

In applicants experience, different pumping conditions require differently sized impellers. This, of course, requires adjustability of the pumping chamber.

Since many pits and sumps are located in buildings where there is only a limited amount of head space above the floor level, it is extremely desirable that the pumps be capable of installation by means of easy elemental assembly on the site.

It is an advantage according to this invention to provide a sump pump in which the clearances between the top and bottom of the impeller and the pumping chamber are easily adjustable.

It is a further advantage of this invention to provide a pump which greatly reduces maintenance costs. It is yet another advantage that the overhung shaft and impeller assembly and the suction tube assembly may be withdrawn from the pump support structure without disturbing the discharge pipe or other elements below the top support plate or flange. It is yet another advantage that the support structure may be easily fabricated from flat plate and standard pipe eliminating the need for costly castings using few, if any, gaskets.

Briefly, a pump according to this invention for removing liquid from a pit or sump comprises a top flange having an opening therein which covers at least a portion of the pit. A pumping chamber is disposed within the pit and comprises two parallel plates and a curved strip therebetween forming the sidewalls of the pumping chamber. The top plate has an opening therein. Standards depend from the top flange to support the pumping chamber within the pit. An overhung impeller shaft extends downwardly through the openings in the top flange and the top plate. The impeller attached to the shaft is thereby positioned within the pumping chamber. A motor is mounted above the top flange for turning the impeller shaft and impeller. A protection column is vertically fixed relative to the impeller shaft and positioned thereabout. An annular plate having a cylindrical flange secured to its periphery is adjustably fixed to the bottom of the protection column. The cylindrical flange is substantially coaxial with the protection column. An annular sealing means or a gasket is fixed to the upper parallel plate of the pumping chamber about the opening therein. The gasket slidably engages the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical flange. Means are provided for adjusting the vertical position of the motor, impeller shaft, impeller and protection column relative to the top flange whereby the clearance between the bottom of the impeller and the bottom of the pumping chamber may be adjusted.

Further features and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the following detailed description with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a section view of a pump according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line AA of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the pump support structure 1 is comprised of a top flange 2, a pump casing 3 and standards 4, spacing the pump casing below the top flange. As shown in the drawings, the top flange may be a metal plate and the standards conventional pipe having flanges at each end. In this way, one or more standards may also serve as a discharge tube 30 or tubes and another may serve as a guide 32 for float control or other pump control parts. The standards may be spaced substantially or apart about the pump shaft 6 as shown in FIG. 3. If only two standards are used, the spacing should be about 180 apart, though three or more standards may be used also. In any case, the standards may have dual functions.

The top flange 2 is arranged to cover at least a portion of the pit from which the liquid is to be removed and has at least one opening 5 therein for passage of the rotary elements of the pump (including the shaft 6 and the impeller 7) and column 45. The top flange may also have openings through which the discharge tube 30 and the guide tube 32 pass or open. The top flange is ar-v ranged to support the pump casing within the pit. The length of the standards is such that the pump casing is somewhat below the upper liquid level.

The pump casing is preferably comprised of an upper end plate 11 and a lower end plate 12 parallel thereto. The periphery of the pump chamber preferably comprises one or more curved strips 13 shaped to form one or more volutes having openings 14 (see FIG. 2) therein for the discharge of liquid thrown thereagainst by the rotating action of the impeller 7. One possible shape of the strips 13 is shown in FIG. 2.

The upper end plate 11 has an opening 15 for the passage of the impeller and the cylindrical flange 62 described hereafter. A suction tube (extension conduit) 20 may pass through an opening 16 in the lower end plate.

Mounted above the top flange 2 is a bearing housing assembly 40 having thrust bearings 41 therein for rotatably supporting the overhung shaft 6. As shown in FIG. 1, two hearings in the bearing housing assembly take care of all the thrust and radial loading on the shaft so that no bearings are needed below the top plate. A motor 43 is mounted above the bearing housing assembly 40 and connected to the shaft by a conventional coupler.

The bearing housing is adjustably secured to the top flange such that the rotary elements may be raised and lowered relative to the top flange and the bottom of the pumping chamber. In one embodiment according to this invention an annular plate 71 covers the opening in the top flange and overlaps the top flange around its periphery. A set of bolts or cap screws 72 are threadably secured to the plate 71 and rests upon the top flange. These bolts are used to adjust the space or distance between the plate 71 and top flange 2. Another set of bolts 73 pass through the plate 71 and are threadably engaged in the top flange 2 for securing the top flange and plate together after the space has been adjusted with the cap screws 72.

A protective tube 45 surrounds the shaft 6 and is fixed at its upper end to the lower side of the: bearing housing assembly 40. At the bottom end of the protective tube 45 is a cover 46 for the centrifugal pumping chamber comprising a flange about the end of the protective tube 45. To the bottom of cover 46 is bolted the column bottom guide assembly to be inserted into hole 15. By gasketing between cover 46 and the column bot tom guide assembly, it is possible to reduce the clearance between the top of the impeller and the pumping chamber upper surface.

The column bottom guide assembly comprises an annular plate 61 and a cylindrical flange 62 secured about the periphery of the flange. The hole in the annular plate 61 is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the impeller shaft. The outside diameter of the cylindrical flange 62 is slightly smaller than the hole in the upper plate II.

An annular gasket or sealing device 63 with an inside diameter expandably equal to the outside diameter of the cylindrical flange 62 is secured to the top of the upper plate 11 with a clamping ring 64 concentric with the cylindrical flange 62. in another embodiment a circular flange might be mounted to the inside of the periphery of hole 15 and an O-ring provided in a groove about the outside diameter of the protective column 45 near the bottom of the column. This would seal the upper plate 11 and the column 45 permitting axial adjustment.

According to a preferred embodiment, the protective tube 45 has a plurality of spaced openings 48 therein. The clearances between annular plate 61 and top face of impeller 7 and between gasket 63 and impeller shaft 6 allow the fluid being pumped to flow up into the space between the shaft 6 and the protection tube 45. The fluid then flows out of the openings 48 in the protection tube. The continuous fluid flow seals the top of the pumping chamber preventing air from entering the impeller.

Preferably, the shaft 6 is comprised of two parts. The upper part of the shaft, that is, the part generally above plate 2 and secured in the bearings is solid. The lower portion of the shaft may be tubular. The connection between the upper and the lower portions of the shaft 6 is by bolting or other means providing for easy releasability. If the lower portion of the shaft is tubular, greater mechanical stability may be achieved. Further, it enables a wider choice of anti-corrosive materials for use as the lower shaft.

Having thus described my invention with the detail and particularity as required by the Patent Laws, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

I claim;

1. A pump for removing liquid from a pit comprising: means for covering at least a portion of the pit and for providing a base;

a pumping chamber for being disposed within the pit;

means depending from the covering means for supporting the pumping chamber within the pit;

an overhung impeller shaft extending downwardly through openings in the covering means and in the top of the pumping chamber;

an impeller attached to said shaft and positionable within the pumping chamber;

a motor mounted above the covering means for turning the impeller shaft and impeller;

a protection column vertically fixed relative to the impeller shaft and positioned thereabout;

plate means secured to the bottom of the protection column providing an upper wear surface for the impeller, said plate means being adjustable toward and away from the bottom of the protective column;

means for sealing the column to the pumping chamber without restricting the vertical movement of the column; and,

means for adjusting the vertical position of the motor, impeller shaft, impeller and protection column relative to the covering means and the bottom of the pumping chamber.

. 2. A pump for removing liquid from a pit comprising: a top flange for covering at least a portion of the pit, said flange having an opening therein;

a pumping chamber for being disposed within the pit comprising two parallel plates and a curved strip therebetween for forming the sidewalls of the pumping chamber, said top plate having an opening therein;

standards depending from the top flange to support the pumping chamber comprising pipe having flanges at each end;

an overhung impeller shaft extending downwardly through openings in the top flange and the top plate and an impeller attached to said shaft positionable within the pumping chamber;

a motor mounted above the top flange for turning the impeller shaft and impeller;

a protection column vertically fixed relative to the impeller shaft and positioned thereabout;

an annular plate having a cylindrical flange secured to its periphery, said plate having a central opening through which the impeller shaft may pass;

adjustable means for fixing the annular plate to the bottom of the protection column such that the clearance between the plate and the top of the impeller. may be adjusted;

annular sealing means fixed to the upper parallel plate of the pumping chamber about the opening therein for slidably engaging the cylindrical flange; and,

means for adjusting the vertical position of the motor, impeller shaft, impeller and protection column relative to the top flange and the bottom of the pumping chamber. 

1. A pump for removing liquid from a pit comprising: means for covering at least a portion of the pit and for providing a base; a pumping chamber for being disposed within the pit; means depending from the covering means for supporting the pumping chamber within the pit; an overhung impeller shaft extending downwardly through openings in the covering means and in the top of the pumping chamber; an impeller attached to said shaft and positionable within the pumping chamber; a motor mounted above the covering means for turning the impeller shaft and impeller; a protection column vertically fixed relative to the impeller shaft and positioned thereabout; plate means secured to the bottom of the protection column providing an upper wear surface for the impeller, said plate means being adjustable toward and away from the bottom of the protective column; means for sealing the column to the pumping chamber without restricting the vertical movement of the column; and, means for adjusting the vertical position of the motor, impeller shaft, impeller and protection column relative to the covering means and the bottom of the pumping chamber.
 2. A pump for removing liquid from a pit comprising: a top flange for covering at least a portion of the pit, said flange having an opening therein; a pumping chamber for being disposed within the pit comprising two parallel plates and a curved strip therebetween for forming the sidewalls of the pumping chamber, said top plate having an opening therein; standards depending from the top flange to support the pumping chamber comprising pipe having fLanges at each end; an overhung impeller shaft extending downwardly through openings in the top flange and the top plate and an impeller attached to said shaft positionable within the pumping chamber; a motor mounted above the top flange for turning the impeller shaft and impeller; a protection column vertically fixed relative to the impeller shaft and positioned thereabout; an annular plate having a cylindrical flange secured to its periphery, said plate having a central opening through which the impeller shaft may pass; adjustable means for fixing the annular plate to the bottom of the protection column such that the clearance between the plate and the top of the impeller may be adjusted; annular sealing means fixed to the upper parallel plate of the pumping chamber about the opening therein for slidably engaging the cylindrical flange; and, means for adjusting the vertical position of the motor, impeller shaft, impeller and protection column relative to the top flange and the bottom of the pumping chamber. 